Hoshi dreamt of the sunsets.

Although Hoshi knew the sunset wasn’t real, as it was merely a figment of her, as well as the collective’s, imagination, she felt moved by it. She watched it inch toward the horizon, disappearing slowly, ever so slowly. The colors were spectacular: deep ochres, rich cadmium reds, pastel pinks, and a hint of gold and lemon yellow. She felt a tear run down her cheek. She knew it was part of her imagination, too. It wasn’t real, but it felt real. She breathed in the free air, also knowing it wasn’t real. However, the allure of the Wasteland, to explore its infinite wastes, still pulled at her.

Hoshi had to return.

She needed to go back home. Her deal with the Subaru Collaborative was her only way to do so. If they were as powerful, as influential, as they’d claimed, she would have no problem being readmitted into Las Ochentas. She only hoped she would never have to leave again.

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